In a thoughtful exploration of gift-giving’s evolution from prehistoric tools to modern consumerism, Bowerbird Design Market founder Peggy Byrne reveals how curated, thoughtfully-designed items can bridge the gap between mindless consumption and meaningful acquisition, offering a path forward for those struggling with clutter.
In our main interview, Peggy Byrne discusses the 15th anniversary of Bowerbird Design Market, exploring the tension between consumerism and thoughtful acquisition while showcasing how handmade and thoughtfully-designed items can add value without contributing to clutter.
In the SA Drink Of The Week, we taste Victor Harbor Gin from Heaps Good Spirits, featuring local coastal daisy bush botanicals that create a unique savory profile.
And in the Musical Pilgrimage, we finish with a festive splash of song, with Dino Jag’s uplifting Christmas track, celebrating South Australian musical talent.
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Running Sheet: Bowerbird Design Market 2024: A Guide to Meaningful Gift-Giving
00:00:00 Intro
Introduction
00:03:36 SA Drink Of The Week
The South Australian Drink Of The Week this week is the Victor Harbor Gin from Heaps Good Spirits.
A tasting of Heaps Good Spirits’ Victor Harbor Gin revealed complex flavors including coastal daisy bush botanicals, creating a unique savoury profile that captures the essence of the region. The gin demonstrated careful craftsmanship and local ingredient selection. Peggy and Steve both agreed it is perfect for drinking neat, such is its elegance.
00:11:47 Peggy Byrne, Bowerbird Design Market
Throughout human history, the act of gift-giving has undergone remarkable transformations. In prehistoric times, people exchanged food and tools not as commodities, but as ways to strengthen social bonds and build alliances. Ancient civilisations like Egypt and Rome elevated gifting into elaborate diplomatic and religious practices, where gifts carried deep symbolic meaning. During the Middle Ages, gifts – often food-based – became powerful symbols of status and authority between nobles and their subjects.
But perhaps the most dramatic shift came with the rise of modern consumerism. Gift-giving transformed from something that cost the giver primarily time and care – like a handwoven blanket or carefully preserved foods – into something that primarily costs money. Instead of gifts emerging from hours of careful labour, they now typically emerge from shopping bags.
Today, we face a fascinating paradox. While neuroscience shows that gift-giving activates pleasure centres in our brains, many people feel overwhelmed by receiving yet another item that adds to their household clutter. This tension between the joy of giving and the stress of accumulation makes this conversation particularly timely.
Today we’re speaking with Peggy Byrne, owner of Adelaide’s Bowerbird Design Market, which for 15 years has been creating a space where handmade crafts and artisanal products can find their place in our modern gift-giving culture.
The Bowerbird Design Market runs November 22-24, 2024, at the Wayville Pavilion, Adelaide Showground. Friday night runs 4-9pm with a special 2-for-1 entry offer, while Saturday and Sunday run 10am-5pm. Entry is $6 for adults, with children under 13 free. The event features golden ticket prizes all weekend, workshops for both adults and children, and even a visit from Santa supporting Catherine House with gold coin donations.
Peggy Byrne, entering her fifth year at the helm of Bowerbird Design Market, provided several profound insights.
On Quality vs Quantity: She shared a personal journey from filling her first apartment with mass-produced items to later choosing fewer, more meaningful pieces: “I bought one really good knife and I kept the teacups my grandmother gave me because they meant something to me.” This philosophy underpins Bowerbird’s approach to modern consumption.
On Curation and Selection: Byrne revealed the complex balancing act of curating the market, explaining how she manages categories like jewellery: “I need a bit of silver, and I need a little bit of ceramic, and I need a little bit of polymer… But as a whole, I still have 20 jewellers.” Her careful consideration extends to price points within each category, ensuring accessibility alongside exclusivity.
On Maker-Customer Connection: The market mandates that designers must be present at least one day, fostering genuine connections. As Byrne emphasised, “They don’t mind if you approach and don’t end up buying. They love to tell their story.”
15th Anniversary Highlights: The upcoming market (November 22-24 at Adelaide Showground) features exciting new additions including:
- George the Slug: Whimsical ceramic creations that “make you happy”
- Hey Lady: Traditional braided guitar straps with contemporary colours
- Dog Boy Knives: Recycled steel transformed into premium kitchen tools
- Emma Clow Glass: Hand-blown stemless glasses that marry function with art
Workshop Innovation: The market offers hands-on experiences including:
- Natural silk dyeing with Garden to Gallery
- Polymer clay jewellery making with Berry Beret
- Silver ring casting with Claire Brooks
- Children’s art workshops with Little Picassos
Environmental Consciousness: Byrne discussed how makers increasingly incorporate sustainability, from using offcuts for smaller items to choosing environmentally responsible packaging. The market encourages thoughtful consumption rather than mass acquisition.
The interview concluded with Steve, who was initially resistant to acquiring more possessions, finding himself convinced of the value in choosing fewer, better items that carry meaning and story. As Byrne noted, “It’s not necessarily volume… it’s about what’s behind it. Once you learn what’s behind it, it just becomes special.”
01:07:02 Musical Pilgrimage
In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature You Don’t Have To Wait For Christmas Day by Dino Jag.
The episode concludes with a celebration of South Australian musical talent, featuring an uplifting holiday song that embodies local creative spirit, first featured in episode 174 back in 2016.
However, in recent years, Dino created a video to go with the song, so get this ready for your Christmas playlists!
Here’s this week’s preview video
SFX: Throughout the podcast we use free SFX from freesfx.co.uk for the harp, the visa stamp, the silent movie music, the stylus, the radio signal SFX, the wine pouring and cork pulling SFX, and the swooshes around Siri.
An AI generated transcript – there will be errors. Check quotes against the actual audio (if you would like to volunteer as an editor, let Steve know)
406-The Adelaide Show
[00:00:00] Steve Davis: Hello, welcome to episode 406 of the Adelaide Show podcast. I’m Steve Davis. Well, Christmas isn’t here just yet, but it’s not far away, and this episode is a gift. It’s a gift in many ways. Our special guest is Peggy Byrne. She’s the owner of Bowerbird Design Market, which is happening at the time of recording this coming weekend in Adelaide, the 15th annual.
[00:00:26] Bowerbird Design Market at the Adelaide Showgrounds. So that’s November 22nd to 24th, 2024. Those of you who know me know that I’m not a big fan of clutter, things. I prefer us to be more minimalist. And what is fascinating about this chat is Earnestly, Peggy turns me. She enlightens me. I get it. I get into the vision.
[00:00:58] I hope you will enjoy the journey as well. You might already be at that destination of appreciating things. That have been designed by designers and you get to meet them and mingle with them. So, enjoy that chat. There’s an accompanying video that goes with this episode. About 10 minutes or so and we walk you through it.
[00:01:18] It’s like an infomercial showcase of some of the wonderful items available at the market. We start off with the SA Drink of the Week, also by an exhibitor at Bowerbird and that is Heaps Good Gin. I’ve got a Victor Harbour Gin, which Yeah, true to name, true to label. And then we finish off with a man Who is a gift to South Australia and the world, Dino Jag.
[00:01:46] I don’t think he can put a foot wrong when it comes to making music. Back in 2016, our musical curator at the time, Dan Drummond, recommended his song, You Don’t Have to Wait for Christmas Day. Um, for our Christmas episode, and I thought it’s fitting to go back into the archives, because a couple of years ago, he made a great video that goes with this song, too.
[00:02:07] I’ll embed that in the show notes. Uh, Dino Jag will take us out and get us into the spirit of, you know, just a little bit of relief in the world. As we head to the end of this year, enjoy.
[00:02:51] Caitlin Davis: In the spirit of reconciliation, the Adelaide Show podcast acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout South Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
[00:03:19] Singing: Adelaideee, Adelaideee, Adelaideeee,
[00:03:23] Dino Jag: adelaidee doooooo
[00:03:26] Singing: Adelaideee, Adelaideee,
[00:03:29] Dino Jag: Adelaideeeee,
[00:03:31] Singing: Adelaideeeee,
[00:03:33] Caitlin Davis: adeladie doooooo
[00:03:36] Steve Davis: For the South Australian Drink of the Week This week we are heading to Victor Harbor. Well, in a roundabout way, our feature guest for this episode, who I’ll be introducing properly a little bit later, is Peggy Byrne from Bowerbird Design Market.
[00:03:52] Peggy, welcome. Thank you. You’ll get a nicer welcome in just a moment. But for the South Australian Drink of the Week, you’ve selected this because Heaps Good Spirits is one of your
[00:04:04] Peggy Byrne: They are indeed, yes. They’ve been coming to Bowerbird now for a few years and have done reasonably well. And I just love their innovations.
[00:04:12] They’re always bringing out new styles of gin. But they’re not based at Victor Harbor, are they? No, they’re not. They say they’re Adelaide based. Um, but they, um, they’ve, um, Heaps good, obviously heaps good really relates to South Australia, and that was where they started off as making an Adelaide gin. But they’ve subsequently started to make gins that are representative of the regions, and the one today represents Victor Harbor because of some of the botanicals that are used.
[00:04:39] Steve Davis: Wow. Well, I’m looking forward to us, um, actually having a taste of this. The bottle is quite fetching. I really like it. It’s one of the, the smaller bottles that I’ve seen in the realm of, uh, of gin. And it’s got some beautiful, well, I, I wonder if this is just for this one, but there, uh, there’s a, What would we call it?
[00:04:58] A collection of blue, uh, that is probably evoking the coastal nature of such a drink.
[00:05:07] Peggy Byrne: I would say so. I’d say that’s the reason for it. There are others are, um, you know, they’ve got lots of pinks and greens in there so depending on what they’re representing. But this one, this one looks very much like the seaside.
[00:05:18] Steve Davis: It does. Well, I wonder if it will taste like it. We’re about to find out, aren’t we? Although, I should have asked, because you’ve just finished an oil painting course. Oh dear. You can describe, how would you describe that array of colours? What would you say?
[00:05:30] Peggy Byrne: Well, I would say there are variant shades of blue.
[00:05:33] Oh. And as I’ve been taught recently, there are There is warmth and there is coolness in blue, so, and it’s all in relationship to the other things on your, on your palette. So, in this case, the only warm colour is the orange of the Heaps Good Gin, um, uh, logo. So everything is, is, is cool blue.
[00:05:51] Steve Davis: Okay, well let’s try and open this now.
[00:05:53] I’d you want to open it close to the microphone and we’ll see if we can capture the sound. So it’s one of these. Gee, that’s a beautiful sound. Alright, I’ll take the glasses over there. And now, one thing I haven’t forewarned you about, Peggy, this is very important. It’s our ritual. Since we began a few hundred episodes ago, we always begin by toasting our late patron, Queen Adelaide.
[00:06:20] So, would you mind raising your glass to the Queen? To the Queen. Alright, let’s have a little taste of this. It smells quite salty, doesn’t it? Yes, it actually, I smell olives. Yes. On my nose. Yes, absolutely. Which I guess when you think about it, we’ve got that beneath the coast. If you were on a, not a windy day, but on a still day down around Victor, uh, you do get a little bit of that.
[00:06:51] Oh, okay. Right off the, right off the bat. Yeah. There’s something else. I’m just, my nose is just trying to get something else out of the, uh, out of the aroma here. Hang on.
[00:07:05] I’m not sure what that is. It’s almost like we have been making homemade lemonade, and next to the chopping board are all the leftover, uh, juiced lemon carcasses. Whatever you call them, the other part of the lemon. And it is not like your nose is right there, but it’s left a, a citrusy stain.
[00:07:29] Peggy Byrne: Mm.
[00:07:29] Steve Davis: On the air.
[00:07:30] Peggy Byrne: Mm.
[00:07:30] Steve Davis: Uh Or a smudge.
[00:07:31] Peggy Byrne: It’s a bit pithy like that. The, the top, the top note of lemon.
[00:07:35] Steve Davis: Yes. Salt and pth. sounds like a, an absurdist band from Sweden. Um, alright. I think it’s time to have a little taste now. Let’s see what we’ve got. This is a very unusual gin. The way it entered my palette, it actually. It moved across my palate in an arc.
[00:07:57] Similar to Steam Ranger. The way that the Steam Ranger train down there along the Encounter Bay coast takes that arc around the coast. It didn’t just bore up the middle. It travelled.
[00:08:14] Peggy Byrne: Yes, it definitely has a Oh, I can’t put my finger on it. But I would, I would be Quite happy to drink that just on ice no Tonic required.
[00:08:25] Steve Davis: I agree. It’s quite warming. Mm hmm It what they do say that Victor Harbor is heaven’s waiting room And by that in a nice way means everything’s there that you need It’s within arm’s reach and it’s just comfortable and this just it’s like a cat curling up It’s like On the, on the edge of a sofa. It’s just, you know, it doesn’t matter what’s happening out there.
[00:08:50] It’s totally content. This is the most content gin I’ve ever sipped.
[00:08:55] Peggy Byrne: Well, there you go.
[00:08:57] Steve Davis: And I’m just, now, uh, In calling this a Victor Harbor gin, you were saying before there are a few botanicals they’ve put into the mix. Let’s just give them a little bit of love.
[00:09:07] Peggy Byrne: So they’ve mentioned that the savory vibes is from local grown coastal daisy bush, which is where I think we get that salty, olive y sort of flavour.
[00:09:18] I’m sure that’s what that is.
[00:09:19] Steve Davis: Yes, how many daisy bushes have you munched on in your life?
[00:09:22] Peggy Byrne: It’s the smell, not so much the taste.
[00:09:26] Steve Davis: Right, well, I’m just trying to imagine what a daisy bush would taste like. And when you munch into it, it would be in the savoury realm. And it probably does bridge those two
[00:09:37] Peggy Byrne: extremes.
[00:09:38] I think the coastal daisy bush is actually quite a fatty plant, isn’t it? So a little bit like, not the salt bush as much, but it’s got that
[00:09:45] Steve Davis: Yeah, an oily fattiness, wow, which would lend itself to olive and that, hmm, okay, and what else do they have in there?
[00:09:52] Peggy Byrne: Uh, and then there are some, um, lemon and orange bursts for a bit of freshness, and obviously the juniper is very much there.
[00:10:00] Steve Davis: Yes, and as I just got to the end of my last question, Bit that I’ve got here. We might there might be some more that accidentally finds its way into the glass He says
[00:10:10] Peggy Byrne: lucky. It’s a small bottle lucky. It’s a small bottle.
[00:10:12] Steve Davis: Um It’s interesting the I really didn’t get the citrus until I’ve really had three half sips.
[00:10:21] I guess really and it’s that last one is where some of that just raised its head There was a lot more work to do It’s like those espionage shows where they’re going through a filing cabinet looking for a file And then they gradually find it just before the bad guys catch up to them.
[00:10:36] Peggy Byrne: It’s exactly what it was like
[00:10:38] Steve Davis: Well, there you go, what an interesting experience and and heaps good is one of your Exhibitors, participants in the Powerbird design market.
[00:10:46] That’s right. And I guess this gin will be one that they have?
[00:10:51] Peggy Byrne: Yeah, absolutely. I think the size of that bottle is because it comes in a series of three with two other regions covered. So you can buy them, great for Christmas presents, etc. Um, and a slightly larger bottle. Um, yes. But, um, but then they, they have their, um, 800 ml bottles of, of the regular, um, Gin that they’ve made for a few years now.
[00:11:12] The Heaps Good Gin, the Adelaide Gin.
[00:11:14] Steve Davis: And I think the 800 bottle will be well deserved because I feel like to get to the bottom of their gin, it’s a slow process that requires meticulous investigation. Someone’s got to do it. Someone has to. All that’s left for me to say is the Heaps Good Spirits Victor Harbor Gin is the South Australian drink.
[00:11:34] Bonjour, je m’appelle Guy Deteau, vous êtes
[00:11:40] Guy Ditot: à Montgomier et vous écoutez
[00:11:50] le Adelaide Show.
[00:11:54] Steve Davis: Throughout human history, the act of gift giving has undergone some remarkable transformations. If we go back to prehistoric times, people exchanged food and tools, not as commodities, but as a way to strengthen the world. Social bonds and build alliances. We then moved to the ancient civilizations like Egypt and Rome.
[00:12:14] They elevated gifting to elaborate diplomatic and religious practices, where gifts carried deep symbolic meaning. Then during the Middle Ages, gifts, often food based gifts, became powerful symbols of status and authority between nobles, But perhaps the most dramatic shift in gift giving came with the rise of modern consumerism.
[00:12:37] It transformed from something that cost the giver primarily time and care, like a hand woven blanket or carefully preserved foods, into something That just costs money. Instead of gifts emerging from hours of careful labour, they typically emerged from shopping bags. And today we face an interesting paradox.
[00:12:58] Neuroscience tells us that gift giving activates pleasure centres in our brain. Many people feel overwhelmed by receiving yet another item that adds to their household clutter. The tension between the joy of giving and the stress of accumulation makes this conversation we’re about to have particularly Timely.
[00:13:17] And as we just heard in the Essay Drink of the Week, we’re speaking with Peggy Byrne. Peggy, um, bought the Adelaide Bowerbird Design Market five years ago. It’s now into its 15th year, and it’s been creating a space where handmade crafts and artisanal products can find their place in our modern gift giving culture.
[00:13:36] podcast. Oh, thank you. I’m glad to be here. Now, after that grand sweep of gift giving history, from the prehistoric tools up to the modern days, did any of those eras resonate with you more than others?
[00:13:53] Peggy Byrne: Look, I think the gift that is made, uh, that has a personal touch, because it’s been handmade, um, I think is, is the one that is always going to be the more, the more precious.
[00:14:05] Steve Davis: And yet there’s still some, um, Wriggle room there, because we’ve all had to smile nicely as a person’s given us something they’ve hand made.
[00:14:15] Peggy Byrne: Oh, have you met my family?
[00:14:17] Steve Davis: Alright, well you’ve just finished an oil painting course, I imagine there’s a few oil painting gifts coming along, which should be good though, I mean, there is that, and we appreciate the thought, but then of course your people are well honed their skills, and so handmade itself has nuance.
[00:14:34] Peggy Byrne: It does, absolutely. Um, I do still think that while something may be a little bit cringey that you might receive that someone’s made for you, You’ll remember it, and I think that memory is almost as valuable as the gift you’ve been given. Um, because it’s a piece of time, it’s a memory in your life that you hold on to, because that person has made it for you.
[00:14:55] Whether it was nice or not, it doesn’t matter.
[00:14:57] Steve Davis: Yeah, I’m actually thinking of my eldest daughter. She, in metal work, made a carrying basket. A tool, toolbox. And when I saw it, I said, could I please have that? Because when I go out and do video shoots, it’s perfect. I’ve got my drone in there, my little microphones.
[00:15:12] But it’s more than that. She made it. And it feels good to be connected. And look, there are better looking things out there. She did a great job. Um, but yes, and that means a lot. It means a lot.
[00:15:25] Peggy Byrne: I remember my grandfather, he was almost blind by the time he passed away, and he had to look sideways, and he used to use this magnifying glass, a little wooden handle magnifying glass to look at things.
[00:15:36] And I’d go and visit him as a child, and one day it was, it broke. The handle broke. And I was like, right, that’s it. Took it, took it to the shed. Fixed it. I don’t know how I fixed it, um, MacGyver style. And, you know, he, you, he kept using that magnifying glass, even though he had about five others in the drawer that were much sturdier, but because I fixed it for him.
[00:15:57] Steve Davis: And at this point in my life, I get that now.
[00:15:59] Peggy Byrne: If you, if you
[00:16:00] Steve Davis: told 21 year old me that, I would have just thought, oh, what’s going on? I don’t know. I get it. Absolutely. I get it.
[00:16:08] Peggy Byrne: And so, of course, now, if something is made with skill, Then you’re just elevating that gift giving. You know, that item is just that little bit more special.
[00:16:17] Steve Davis: And we are coming back into that territory in just a little while, but I do, before we move into this too deeply, I want to come back to this feeling of overwhelm with possessions. Um, when I was talking to Petrina about having a chat with you, I had to confess that I’m stressed at home. I’ve, it’s one against three.
[00:16:36] Um, And it, our house is groaning with things everywhere, and I, I don’t, I just cannot see our way out of this, and the thought of more things, it brings me down. Um, and, and it, I wish it wasn’t like that, cause you see these beautiful things in SA Life, and the, the houses are almost bare, and you, oh, that wouldn’t be magnificent, you bought something, it would be pride of place.
[00:17:01] So, um, I imagine I’m not an orphan with this particular feeling of overwhelm. You’re creating a market where more objects are about to enter people’s lives. What’s your perspective on this apparent contradiction?
[00:17:15] Peggy Byrne: Look, I’ll take an example that, um, that’s a personal example. When I first moved out of home, uh, into my own apartment, you know, I did the IKEA run.
[00:17:26] And, you know, I bought the set of 12 plates and the six knives and the block and all the pots and pans, etc. And, you know, they did me well. I actually wasn’t cooking, so it didn’t really matter. But, um, I had the stuff, you know, I had the stuff. It looked right. It looked right. Um, you know, 20 years later, I travelled around the world quite a bit, so actually reducing the amount of stuff that I had became important.
[00:17:53] I found that what I was then doing, and partly because finances were probably a little bit better for me, but also because I had a need to reduce my stuff, is that I bought one really good knife and I bought The teacups that my grandmother gave me because they meant something to me. I didn’t buy any other mugs.
[00:18:13] You know, I sort of, I, I reduced what I had because I needed to but also I kept the things that I, I, would be the most valuable for me. So I went for quality instead of quantity and I think that’s something we all go through phases where we feel we need to clutter and then we declutter. And then we clutter again, and then we declutter.
[00:18:31] But I think at some point, and I think today a lot of people are heading in this direction, we’re more likely to buy For example, a piece of clothing that could be matched to four or five other items in our wardrobe than to buy a whole new outfit. And I think that’s what happens with, um, you know, with trends.
[00:18:49] But given the state of the economy, the state of the environment, um, And everything that, um, that we’ve been through the last few years, I think that’s really a good direction to be heading in. And I think that’s why a market like Bowerbird and, and these handcrafted and small batch items are, um, are getting a lot more interest.
[00:19:08] Steve Davis: Yeah, well we just had the Mayor of Prague dump five tonnes of clothing. Thrown away clothing in the town square to make this point, but also think about the clutter that just occurred to me that some people are born into clutteredness, some achieve clutteredness, and some have clutteredness thrust upon them, which I will put my, I probably can’t throw the first stone, because when I think of the kitchen, one thing you just said, just slap me in the face with, um, a realization, in a nice way, one good knife, there are two things that come from that, There’s a reliable beautiful knife that you can enjoy using and secondly You do not have a pile of dishes build up of the other knives that have not yet been washed If I take nothing else away from this conversation, I think you’ve just named the wrong thing A mindset shift.
[00:20:01] And it could be that our family get home at some point in the next few weeks and knives have disappeared and there’s one that replaces them. It could even be one from Bower. Have you got any knife makers? Well, of
[00:20:11] Peggy Byrne: course I do.
[00:20:11] Steve Davis: I
[00:20:14] Peggy Byrne: have an amazing knife maker called Dog Boy Knives. And Richard has been making knives for quite a while now, but he uses recycled, um, Iron, right?
[00:20:24] Recycled steel. So, you know, old wheels and things like that. So, um, it’s quite beautiful. But he can also make Damascus knives and all of the very fancy knives. And you see them in Chef’s Kitchen. So, they are quality knives.
[00:20:37] Steve Davis: Good. Okay. There you go. I can see you’re going to gradually get me over to the other side of this.
[00:20:43] But, I mean, with those of us drowning in stuff, just take this further a bit more. Um, With Bowerbird, you just pointed out this. Now this would be a dynamic happening to me where I could see a vision of, Hmm, I take this one and I sweep the, the other stuff off the board. Is that the nature, do you think there’s something inherent in the Bowerbird DNA that is potent, that’s pregnant with this potential if we walk through with an open mind through these markets?
[00:21:13] How does, how does it not just make clutter? How does it? Take this further.
[00:21:19] Peggy Byrne: Well, I think clutter to me is Items that are unused, unneeded, unrequired, they’re not necessarily, you know, you might have three items, but if two aren’t required, that’s clutter. You know, so it’s not necessarily volume. Um, and I think that when you, um, when you buy something from, you know, one of the mass stores, mass brands, um, you know, you might think, well, for my money, I can get, you know, I can get 12 plates and a set of six knives and all the pans that I will never use.
[00:21:53] Um, Or, for that money, I could buy A really nice plate made hand thrown by someone, a nice mug for my cup of tea in the morning, a really good knife, and that’s all I need because I’m only going to get take out. I don’t need the pans. You know, depending on your life, you might just say, what do I need? And then just buy the very best, or the one that really works.
[00:22:17] Steve Davis: As my daughters would say, I’m really vibing with this at the moment. And there’s a series of novels, the character’s Harry Bower. And I always was struck that he’s this tough L. A. detective, sort of goes outside the rules every now and then. Lovely, endearing character. He lives alone and after he makes his dinner He washes the plate and the night and just stacks him in there and I thought gee I’d love to get to that point And now I found a way forward.
[00:22:44] Um, now you’ve bought in five years ago Were you ever involved with Bowerbird as a participant or a consumer before that?
[00:22:52] Peggy Byrne: A consumer? Yes, a couple of years before I bought the market. I traveled a lot So I only came back about 10 years ago myself. Um, and so when I went to the first time to Bowerbird, I thought, this is fantastic.
[00:23:06] This is wonderful. It reminded me a little bit of an artisanal market you might find in Southern Italy or France or something where, you know, just some local makers are bringing out their wares. But a little bit more, you know? Modern I guess in a little less traditional, but it reminded me of that and it had a wonderful atmosphere Everybody just seemed happy because everything they were looking at was beautiful whether they were buying it or not They were having great conversations with makers who were so passionate You know, the conversation is only going to go one way when someone just loves everything they do So, you know, I just thought this is a lovely place Lovely market.
[00:23:40] I enjoy going to and then when I found out it was for sale, I was at a point where I thought Hmm. I’ve got marketing background. I’ve got events background. I’ve got sponsorship background and I’ve been working for a small business for years. So I thought why not
[00:23:54] Steve Davis: Wow So S7 is years that you’ve been in and out of the Bowerbird world Has the term handmade shifted in any understanding or meaning over that time, or has it remained constant?
[00:24:08] Peggy Byrne: Well, we need to be careful about terminology because Bowerbird is, is a market that celebrates Australian designers. So an Australian designer could be the, the ideas person, doesn’t know how to make a single thing but has a fabulous idea, find somebody who can make it. That’s still a designer that we would accept at Bowerbert.
[00:24:29] And sometimes, um, they can make the item, but it’s too expensive to make it locally. So they’ll have to source it outside. So once they’ve, they’ve created their patterns or whatever, and they’re happy with the artisans they’re using, then it gets made locally. Offshore, so again, they would be accepted at Bowerbird And then there’s those that literally walk outside into their studio and just start making things and they’re obviously always welcome to Bowerbird so handmade um Is a specific part of a designer’s capabilities Not all designers will hand make their products But they will get involved to the nth degree in making sure that it’s perfect and as they’ve envisaged it
[00:25:12] Steve Davis: So the curation process is really important here.
[00:25:15] This is not like the Adelaide Fringe where anyone can sign up and Come what may You have to turn people away. I do. That must be hard.
[00:25:25] Peggy Byrne: Look, it’s difficult, and I think one of the things that I’ve found is it’s not the designer’s fault that they assume that their work will fit into any market because other than B Bird in Adelaide, there are not that many markets that curate their lineup.
[00:25:43] Um, there are others in interstate that, that do a similar thing that B Bird does. Um, but what that means is that, um. I can be looking for, you know, let’s say I need 20 jewellers in my line up and I will get 50 applications. And I need a bit of silver, and I need a little bit of ceramic, and I need a little bit of polymer.
[00:26:04] I need a bit of every type of material. Product that can be made into jewelry because otherwise I’ve got too much silver or too much polymer But as a whole I still have 20 jewelers, which is a lot because not everybody needs jewelry. So So there is a balance. I have to be fair in the category, but I also have to make sure the category doesn’t overtake Everything else.
[00:26:27] Yes. Yeah, so there’s a bit of to it. So sometimes I will You know, turn people away, and they’re like, but my work is amazing. I’m like, I don’t doubt it, but I’ve got five similar, and you wouldn’t do very well because you’ll be competing directly with people who do similar things. So there’s a bit of that, and I have to be fair and try and, you know, rotate that.
[00:26:47] But then my customers ask for certain people, and I have to have them as well because customers ask for them. So often I’m not very liked, but I have to do what’s right for not just the designers, but the customers.
[00:26:59] Steve Davis: Wow, there’s the makings of a telemove.
[00:27:02] Peggy Byrne: Oh, no, please. No
[00:27:04] Steve Davis: It might end up to a whodunit mystery So when we’re when we’re going to the market, that’s what Which is happening.
[00:27:12] We haven’t mentioned this yet. Uh, this is coming out this at the time of recording the weekend before It all happens November 22nd to 24th And it’s at the Adelaide
[00:27:22] Peggy Byrne: showground and the Waver
[00:27:24] Steve Davis: Pavilion and the entry price is so modest.
[00:27:28] Peggy Byrne: Mm hmm So yes, it is It’s six dollars six dollars for adults and children under 13 are free And the reason is because We believe that we need to qualify people entering in terms of their intent, um, because, you know, often these days you’ll walk down the street on a Saturday and your local council or a group of, um, traders have put together a market and, oh, there it is, there’s a market, I can go to this market and it’s absolutely free, but you had no intention of going there, you just happened to be walking down the street to get a coffee.
[00:27:58] So, it’s happened, it’s happened, it’s happened, Happenchance, and it’s not necessarily, um, it’s definitely not curated. For Bowerbird, um, we bring people from interstate. We need to get people through the door that have an intent to engage with the designers. They don’t have to spend, obviously, with the designers, but just that intent to engage.
[00:28:18] They, that, we don’t want people just walking from one end to the next to get to the other exit door. Um, that’s not. That’s not the intent. So that’s what the six dollars stands for. It’s also an um, acknowledgement that it is curated. Um, somebody’s puts a lot of thought into it, aka me. But you know, always someone has put a lot of thought into it.
[00:28:38] Um, and you know, the showground is not a very cheap place to host an event. You know, it’s neither should it be because it’s a fabulous venue. So that’s what the six dollars is for. Um, and it’s affordable. I mean, it would never, a lot of events at the showgrounds are in the 20 or more, but I don’t think Balbard would ever go there because it’s, it’s taking money away from the designers inside the room, which is silly.
[00:29:02] Yeah.
[00:29:02] Steve Davis: No, it, it, when I was reading that, it struck me as, it’s just so, it’s, it’s fair, probably more than fair, but it’s nice. Yes. Uh, it is a token, but it’s an importance that comes with that. What is the mindset that would, uh, a visitor. Could adapt to get the absolute most Out of a visit to the Bur harmony design market wow, how do you set yourself up as a visitor for success?
[00:29:29] Peggy Byrne: Look one thing you need to Accept is that you’re probably not going to see every single thing to the degree to the equal degree I mean, I’m there for three days and I talk to every single designer and I will still go home and go. Oh, I Didn’t I haven’t seen Why didn’t I ask them about this product just because, you know, so there’s just so much there to discover.
[00:29:54] You’re probably not going to see everything. So that could be a stress for some people. They walk in and they just see all this color and think, Oh, how do I get around this? My advice is just walk around, just meander, do a lap, do a lap, see what grabs your eyes, see what you’re drawn to, um, the designers themselves.
[00:30:14] Who present their wares, because that’s a requirement of ours, that it has to be the, the designer at least one of the days. Um, they will, um, you know, they will also be a, a reason why you engage. You might, I don’t know, see something in, in the way they look at you or in the way that they’re talking about their products to someone else and that might be a reason that you remember them.
[00:30:34] So you do a lap and then come back again and in that second lap Actually go to the vendors or the the stores that have attracted you and even if you’re not looking to buy, don’t be afraid to talk to the designers. They don’t mind. They really don’t mind if you approach and don’t end up buying. They love to tell their story.
[00:30:54] They know that one day you might say, Oh, I remember there was this person who sold this and I’ll look them up. You know, it always happens. We get a lot of people after the market ringing us saying, Oh, who was it that was in that corner that was selling those handbags? And we’ll, you know, we’ll connect
[00:31:09] Steve Davis: them.
[00:31:10] Peggy Byrne: Absolutely. I mean, our website can do that as well because all the designers are up there, but if you don’t quite remember their name or, um, so, you know, sometimes the brain’s a funny thing, you know, you sit, you have to sit on something, especially if it’s a luxury item, you know, some items are, you know, You know, in the hundreds of dollars and that’s not something, if you had not intended to go somewhere to buy a 200 handbag you might not do it straight away but in a few weeks you might say, you know, I have to keep thinking about that bag it’d be perfect for my next holiday and then you might contact the maker.
[00:31:39] So we understand that happens. So to get the most out of Bowerbird is be open to have the conversations. You might assume something’s overpriced or silly. But then talk to the designer and understand why they do what they do and how they do it and you might walk away With a different opinion.
[00:31:55] Steve Davis: Do you cast your mind over that when they’re applying?
[00:31:59] engage Pricing?
[00:32:03] Peggy Byrne: I do, I do. So, um, I, you know, so I balance the silver and the polymer and the, and the resin. Um, but I also balance the price point. So we’ll have silver jewelers which have a 50 price point and others that have a 200 price point. We obviously can’t have five that are 200 price point. So, um, so I do, absolutely.
[00:32:23] That’s one of the questions we ask.
[00:32:25] Steve Davis: One other question that I’d be curious about. Have you ever considered auditioning your designers on their skills of talking to people? Because I often hear people, uh, whether it’s a farmer’s market or whatever, come on, have a chat, and you get there, and there’s a stallholder sitting down reading their novel, and either they’re too embarrassed or too bored to care.
[00:32:49] Now, I’m not expecting that to be the case there, but there’s a difference between someone who is not doing that, but still not engaging, versus A great gregarious character who is entertaining. Look,
[00:33:05] Peggy Byrne: it happens all the time that I fall in love with a designer’s work that they send through to me. Fall in love with a story that they give me.
[00:33:13] I love everything about what they’re trying to achieve. So I give them a spot and they come to Bowerbird and they get a, you know, a good location where it’s got a lot of exposure to, you know, people walking through the door. First impression, for example. And I see they’re sitting down. And And they’re on their phone and they’re looking down and it breaks my heart because I’ve given them the best possible opportunity to be the first thing people see when they walk through the door, which sometimes is a good thing, sometimes it isn’t.
[00:33:42] But, you know, in people’s minds, being near the front door is a premium spot. I don’t believe that it actually works in their favor all the time, but never mind. Um, and, and then they do that. They, they, they either, um, regress, you know, they’re scared or maybe they just, there’s a, sometimes there’s a sense of, well, I’m just here, you know, I just make the stuff.
[00:34:03] And it’s like, well, actually no, because you’ve got to tell me why I need to look at this. You’ve got to tell me why it’s so special to you, because that’s what I’m buying. I’m not just buying a mug. I’m buying a mug that you’ve put a little bit of yourself into and that I have a story to tell when I take it home.
[00:34:20] That’s, that’s added value. You know, that’s why things um, are worth the money that you’re spending, is because they’re not just a million of them, they’re all unique.
[00:34:29] Steve Davis: It’s interesting, because in my day job as a marketer, I know that from a search engine optimisation perspective, being number one on Google is often not the best situation.
[00:34:38] You want to be two or three, because people will look at the first one to benchmark, And then start making their decisions. So that’s that. But the other thing is it really does bring us right back to the very early days of branding where people didn’t have a Coke logo, but they knew it was Bill from Anguston who made this lemonade.
[00:34:59] And so it got known as Bill’s lemonade and Bill was that brand wherever Bill was, whether Bill liked that or not. And. This is a beautiful sort of full circle. These people, these designers are their brands and we get to talk to that living brand. That’s right. That’s right. I do hope that many of them get that because that’s what we don’t often get.
[00:35:30] Often brands are really fabricated and plastic these days. Um, but this is a chance to. Get into the story.
[00:35:37] Peggy Byrne: Absolutely. And you know, there’s I’m thinking of a designer Jude who’s comes from Victoria. He’s a fashion designer And you know, he lives and breathes the fashion that he makes, you know, you can No one looks better in his clothing than he does.
[00:35:52] He looks fantastic. Do you know what I mean? It’s him. You’re trying to clone yourself into him when you’re looking at his clothes. Because he’s just, it’s just perfect. And, and he’s very softly spoken, he’s such a kind man. Um, a lot of, um, a lot of, um, artisanal skills from, um, from his homeland, you know, from, from, He’s a Asian heritage.
[00:36:15] I mean, hand stitching and things like that. Just beautiful. Um, but he’s super quirky and super fun. And I find people, you know, his clothing are polarizing. They’re not for everyone. But I find that his stall is always busy because It’s interesting, you know, and even if you walk away and you don’t buy an item, he doesn’t mind because he loves to tell you why he does what he does.
[00:36:37] So that’s really important. You know, there are other people, you know, a lot of the makers or producers, actually, you’ll find a lot of the producers aren’t necessarily very good at, um, at selling themselves because you know, they’re locked in the kitchen making whatever they make and and But when you start hearing about you know, well, this is a recipe handed down from great grandma blah blah blah And you know, this was from Sicily and this is how we do it But now we’ve used them the modern way of using air fryers, etc.
[00:37:04] You think? Oh, wow, I’ve got to have this. I’ve got to, this is going to be the best biscuit I’ve ever eaten in my life because, um, because so much, you don’t really think about the thinking that goes behind things, you know, you just pick something up at the supermarket or in a, in a shop and you just think, well, I’m just buying it.
[00:37:21] You don’t think about what’s behind it. Um, and I think once you learn what’s behind it, it just becomes special. It
[00:37:29] Steve Davis: really does. It does connect us. I know, at the moment, at the time of recording, Chibo, the range of cafes, is in the process of being bought out or has been sold to the Gloria Jean group or whichever group owns that.
[00:37:40] And I saw an interesting comment of someone saying, the original founders of Chibo wanted to make coffee as we do it in Italy. That was their point of difference. And then when they sold out and other franchisees took over, I don’t think it’s unfair of me to say, Not all of them maintained that. It became like another cafe, to a degree.
[00:38:01] But I still remembered that point of difference in the beginning. And so You’re actually making me really excited about this market. Oh, yay! Especially because I know that we buy from people we know, like and trust. And here, the designer, the producer gets to do that in one fell swoop. And so, if anything, I would be rehearsing, I would be preparing, I’d be resting my voice if I was a designer.
[00:38:31] I would treat this like I was going on stage.
[00:38:34] Peggy Byrne: And I think a lot of them do. Obviously the ones that I mentioned that, that, you know, are given the opportunity and don’t seem to take it, you know, with both hands. They either don’t do very well at the market and then will blame me for it, in which I can always, you know, give them some suggestions on how things could improve.
[00:38:51] But if they’re not willing to give it a second go, it’s always a telltale sign for me. Um, because I think, well, you know, not everybody is going to make it. It’s ups and downs, you know, the market has its ups and downs. People choose to buy different things at different times, but the good makers know that they need to give it a few goes for people to go, Oh, I know I can find them there.
[00:39:12] I know this brand is going to be at Bowerbird at least one of the two events in the year. Um, and then, you know, and then they build up that, especially the ones from interstate, I mean, you can’t buy their products anywhere else in SA except at Bowerbird. You’d expect them to come back so that they start building that audience So that you know, there is that but the ones that are very good I don’t think they rehearse because they’re so natural.
[00:39:35] Steve Davis: Yes, and I didn’t mean rehearse as in, you know. I know, I know what you mean, but I
[00:39:38] Peggy Byrne: think that’s what’s good because there are also those that are overly, you know, and it’s personality as well, you know. I’m not somebody who would be very attracted to a hard sell. You know, I’m not a hard sell person. Um, and I often find people who just, Um, ask me, how’s my day?
[00:39:57] Oh, how are you? Have you been enjoying the market? Not so much, what can I show you? Have you tried this? Um, but just engage with me is probably a, but there’s different styles. Everyone has a style.
[00:40:08] Steve Davis: Well, they are. And I already meant that. It’s a performance time to be on stage to be in the limelight. I one of my secret pleasures Is Bill Maher has a podcast called Club Random?
[00:40:20] He just had Sammy Hagar on who’s known by many people as a rock singer and he Declined the offer to smoke a joint With Bill because he said I’m about to start a concert tour. I’m looking after my throat It’s that sort of discipline that They’re lucky that you’re running it because I would be like a strict director with every designer
[00:40:46] Peggy Byrne: Do you know if I had the time you if there was five of me there were there are definitely things that I would do That I would fine tune a bit more, you know I’m one of the things that I did when I took over the market was my predecessor Used to let the designers put up the The cardboard that goes onto the back wall of the fencing, that’s how we create our little aisles, is a fence with a cardboard piece on there.
[00:41:10] And she would, as they arrived, they would grab a piece of cardboard and put up their own cardboard on the fence. Fair enough. And after the first event where this happened, I was like, I can’t, no, this is not straight. I cannot cope with that. So, uh, I put up the cardboard for the designers and the next time they came and they saw the cardboard was up, they said, Oh my God, you’ve saved us so much time.
[00:41:30] And I’m thinking, I saved you time. I saved you five minutes by taking four hours of my time, but it’s more about time. I just needed things to be straight and perfect.
[00:41:39] Steve Davis: Well, I think we kind of need someone with a bit of OCD in the background. I
[00:41:43] Peggy Byrne: think so, especially in events.
[00:41:45] Steve Davis: Of course, you’ve got that background too.
[00:41:47] Um, environmental aspects, uh, If we look at all your different people, are they all in the category of being very light touch on the environment? Or I know it’s not a promise made by the market. Is there a mix? Is it sort of two thirds, a third, or is just the fact that you’re buying less lessening the footprint anyway?
[00:42:11] Peggy Byrne: I think In its nature, it’s going to be more environmentally friendly because of the smaller batch making, less waste, etc.
[00:42:20] Steve Davis: And Peggy, let me just interrupt, sorry, just so I don’t come across as a Hippocritical up himself tosser. Um, I still buy a mix of things many of which are not necessarily good So I’m asking out of pure earnest Curiosity rather than a from a high moral horse
[00:42:38] Peggy Byrne: and you know It is something that we consider as well in at in all the markets in Australia are considering how we can have a lighter touch on on the planet, but the reality is there are, there are lots of things that we can do that are small that make an impact and some of the things that the designers do, while they may not be promoting themselves as being sustainable and environmentally friendly in that way, is reusing waste material.
[00:43:03] So Jude, who I mentioned before, who makes the beautiful clothing, he started to make brooches with the little strips of fabric that are cut off the ends of rolls or, so he makes these beautiful brooches that, uh, you know, that would be so time consuming to make, but they’re beautiful flowers just made out of all the different fabrics using his stitching style.
[00:43:26] Um, and you know, that’s a way for him to have Minimum waste.
[00:43:30] Dino Jag: So
[00:43:30] Peggy Byrne: here’s an example of what some, um, some designers do, you know, leather makers who make handbags, et cetera, will start making little key rings, um, and things like that just to use the small, the small wastage. So that, that is important. We all need to do something like that.
[00:43:45] Um, I try not to promote plastic too much. So by that, I mean, you know, there are a lot of, um, There are a lot of options when you’re making materials and I will always tend to go towards the natural materials. Um, obviously there are other things, other trends that you just cannot. Avoid where you do allow for you know that that component of plastics or you know waste to come into it But really, you know, the design is pretty good even to their packaging They’re very they’re very careful to use, you know The right packaging and we all are these days.
[00:44:18] I’ve received a lot of products in the post recently and they’re all using that You know that biodegradable.
[00:44:24] Steve Davis: Yes
[00:44:24] Peggy Byrne: So, you know, we should all do as much as we can
[00:44:27] Steve Davis: we could and you’ve mentioned trends a couple of times now Let’s look at As you reflect over your time with Bowerbird, what shifts have you noticed?
[00:44:36] What trends have happened? And obviously giving us a bit of focus on the 15th anniversary Bowerbird market, which is just about to take place.
[00:44:45] Peggy Byrne: So, um, the most notable trend that I’ve seen is, I guess, in ceramics. I mean, I’m a fan of ceramics. I love ceramics. Um, when I first took over and the first few times I went to Baobab pre purchasing the business, there was a lot of, um, uh, brown clay, white glaze.
[00:45:08] Very Danish, very minimalistic, very beautiful. Um, of all varying sort of shapes and sizes, but that seemed to be a very on trend thing. Um, and in the last few years, I’ve had so many ceramicists with bright, bold colours. And I love bold coloured glazes. It’s just brilliant. Um, it’s just, it’s not something that you would normally see.
[00:45:31] See on a glaze on a ceramic mug other than porcelain is white so you can paint it and make it look, you know, absolutely pristine but with with a Clay a colored clay that you’ve got a glaze it And then you’ve got to add different colours to it. And obviously the colours all come from various elements that are in the, uh, in the powder of the glaze.
[00:45:55] And then when you fire them, they change colour into bright blues and reds, etc. Um, but there’s also underglazes and painting. There’s been just so much of that these days, which is lovely because colour, we all need colour in our lives. I mean, I’ve got a very minimalistic house in terms of tone, but, you know, every vase that I’ve bought has been bright red or bright yellow or bright blue in the last three, six months because, you know, I want colour in my life.
[00:46:16] Steve Davis: Have you reached peak vase yet?
[00:46:18] Peggy Byrne: Well, what I’ve actually found is that, um, so vases, when you have flowers, amazing. But when there’s no flowers, and flowers are not in season, and I only ever use flowers for my garden, the actual colourful vase is a decorative item on its own. So, I never put my vases away.
[00:46:36] So, have I reached maximum vase? I’m sure there’s one out there that’s got my name on it.
[00:46:43] Steve Davis: Um, also, who, who’s new in the zoo for the 15th? We can’t play favourites, obviously. It’s not fair of the mum to do that, but let’s seize us with a few.
[00:46:57] Peggy Byrne: I have been, um, so this year I went on a road trip. I went to every other market similar to Bowerbird Interstate.
[00:47:04] Um, I get a lot of designers from Interstate that come to Bowerbird, so I know about them. And I obviously see them online and see their advertising, but I actually physically went to them this year and I found two designers that I am so excited about that are coming over. And one is, now this is going to feed into your clutter argument, but I’m going to say it anyway.
[00:47:29] One is a ceramicist, she’s an artist. Yes. And it’s called George the Slug. Now, George the Slug is, um, she’s an artist that makes very small ceramic slugs. But they’re sort of futuristic slugs, some of them look a bit alien, some of them have got teeth. They look very strange, but, do you know what it is?
[00:47:51] Dino Jag: What?
[00:47:51] Peggy Byrne: They make you happy. They’re the size of your thumbnail, and they’re so cute and bright and colourful. When you catch a glimpse of them when you’re walking past, they make you happy. And in her website intro about, you know, why slugs? She said she found, she found herself, um, uh, connected to slugs when she was watching them in her garden going backwards and forwards with no real purpose in life.
[00:48:21] And I felt, I felt that we were connected by that one, you know, concept. And so she started drawing slugs, but they became happy slugs. Slugs that did have a purpose, to make you happy. And I thought, you know what, that is a very whimsical, Lovely thing, it doesn’t hurt anyone, you can put it, you put it in a plant pot, you can put it by your favourite mug of tea in the morning to make you smile when you get up.
[00:48:45] Yeah,
[00:48:46] Steve Davis: you’re happy with the plant pot, I think that’s good, because slugs are basically homeless snails, when you think about it, so anything to,
[00:48:55] Peggy Byrne: Give them a home. Give them a home. Well, anyway, so I’m very, very pleased that she’s coming and she also does beautiful illustrations, quirky illustrations and, you know, things that make you warm your heart.
[00:49:04] I think there’s never, you can never have too many things like that because, you know, it’s very easy to be depressed these days. So I’m all for these items. And then the other one I’m very excited about is a lady, um, well, the brand called Hey Lady and her name is Lady. Makes guitar straps, and I guess you would also use them for cameras, um, camera straps.
[00:49:28] Um, in that, in that traditional, um, braiding, it’s like a stitching. It’s beautiful, but it’s a bit contemporary because she’s using brighter colors and beautiful designs. And, uh, so she’s, she’s been trying to come to Barber for about three years, but for one reason or another, she’s not been able to make it.
[00:49:46] So finally she’s coming. So if you know anyone that’s Plays the guitar, or has an instrument, or you know, has a camera in front of their face most of the time. Or even, she even makes belts and handbag straps. So, you know, all those things, um, again, bright, colourful, but made in a traditional method. Peggy,
[00:50:03] Steve Davis: have you been stalking me?
[00:50:05] No, I haven’t. Should I? Yes. Well, my new Comedy character I’m working on is a wandering Australian country singer and I’ve bought a guitar and I’m learning Working with Rick Price on writing some songs And I thought to myself in the last week. I need a guitar strap so that I can play Stand and play and here you are, I don’t know that this is coincidence.
[00:50:32] Peggy Byrne: Well I would have loved to have become a musician but it was never in the cards for me, I do have my father’s guitar hanging on the wall but it never gets played, um, and I will be buying a strap. Just to decorate that guitar.
[00:50:44] Steve Davis: Yes, of course you will. Wow, alright. Um, there’s also workshops that you run.
[00:50:50] Yeah. Can you take us through some of those?
[00:50:52] Peggy Byrne: Sure, so, um, this, this event, we’ve got two of our actual designers who are presenting their, their products. Hosting workshops, so they’re doing it. Yeah a bit of a double up. They’ve got it After a while they get enough staff, you know family members or you know daughters, etc You can help at the stand for an hour.
[00:51:12] So fantastic So we’ve got Jenny from garden to gallery now garden to gallery make the most beautiful silk scarves. They’re dyed with natural flora Yeah, so flowers and and leaves etc is a technique that you can use and that the silk picks up the colors and just makes These beautiful hues so she’s going to teach people how to do that.
[00:51:34] I think you walk away with you know a little handkerchief size Silk scarf or hair tie whatever you want to use it for but also you’ll leave her with a A larger scarf that you’ve worked on and she’ll finish the dyeing process for you because that one will require what they call setting. So, um, so that’ll be great.
[00:51:52] So you’ll probably get it in time for Christmas if you want to give it to somebody. So that is a fabulous workshop and Jenny’s just the most beautiful person. Another one of our designers is Tracy from Berry Beret. Now Berry Beret make beautiful polymer earrings. Polymer earrings and clay earrings seem to be the trend.
[00:52:09] Everybody’s making it. But Tracy knows how to make an earring. She has an understanding of color and fun. And it’s just amazing. They’re the types of earrings that, um, they don’t cost very much because obviously the materials are relatively cheap, but they definitely make your outfit. You know, finish your outfit off.
[00:52:30] So she’s going to teach you how she does it, how she uses the layering, et cetera. And that would be fun. It’s with a glass of bubbles as well, while you’re there. So, you know, um, a very relaxed workshop, but then we’ve got a serious workshop with a jeweller called Claire Brooks. She’s not presenting at Bowerbird because she’s way too busy at the moment, but she will be doing a workshop for us, a very small workshop for only six people at a time.
[00:52:52] Um, how to create a wax ring that then she will cast in silver. And send to you so you’ll understand the concepts of how to make a silver ring basically Um, so she’s bringing all the gear and everything which will be very exciting. Um, so that’s
[00:53:07] Steve Davis: so you make a ring out of wax And engrave or do whatever you do And then she then moulds that, I imagine, and then pours silver and She’ll
[00:53:17] Peggy Byrne: cast it, she’ll create a cast out of it, and then she’ll, she’ll, yeah, add the silver to it.
[00:53:23] How interesting. Mmm, fantastic. And the sizing’s
[00:53:25] Steve Davis: already there, because you’ve done
[00:53:26] Peggy Byrne: Absolutely. So that’s, that’s your introduction, and obviously she can take you further into the jewellery making process of how to clean up. Rings and you know all the settings of gems etc, but this is really an introduction on jewelry making if you get hooked by what you do at that Workshop, I guarantee you you’ll continue on because it’s so much fun And then we’ve got some kids workshops too because you know, it’s a family affair We’ve we’ve got the pros that have coming down little Picassos.
[00:53:52] They do fabulous workshops, you know As a business, um, for kids and really, um, look, I think a workshop sometimes for children can be just a bit of a pastime, but what they do is really engage the kids in understanding the potential. of materials. They’ll give you every material you can think of and they’ll say, right, one of them is a reindeer portrait, you know, but using texture and fabrics and paint and pencils and all the, all the materials to try and get layers and to really create a character.
[00:54:29] Out of this reindeer. And then the other one is a, um, still life, a floral still life. So they’ll set up a floral still life and then you can come in and learn that. So it’s for kids four to 15. So not just kids. Yeah. Um, but they are, they are professional, uh, teachers, um, in, in art. So it, it should be fantastic.
[00:54:47] Um, so we’re hoping that, um, yes, kids come along and, and then become makers in the future
[00:54:52] Steve Davis: if they, if there are these workshops for the kids. Is this part of your secret mission? To avoid parents having to smile and nod when a kid gives them a gift badly done By upping their skill level. Is that really what’s happening?
[00:55:07] Peggy Byrne: Yes Well, it’s kind of like the analogy about giving somebody a fishing rod and teaching them how to fish You know, I think that’s kind of that if if you know, if your kid brings home a really bad ceramic ashtray then Teach them how to make a proper ashtray, or not ashtray anymore, whatever we make at school these days.
[00:55:24] Yes,
[00:55:24] Steve Davis: of course. Yes, they probably don’t make many ashtrays at school these days. No, what would they
[00:55:27] Peggy Byrne: make now?
[00:55:27] Steve Davis: A vape holder. A vape holder. Now, just in closing, a couple of things. I remembered, um, one of our listeners asked, In, in me reflecting publicly about the giving, not giving, awkwardness, etc. They said, if you don’t know what to give someone, giving them a gift of service is a lovely way.
[00:55:51] So I’ll, you know, give you a massage, or I’ll clean the dishes, or, which is nice. But you’ve shown me that, that is good. I don’t think you’d disagree with that. I don’t, no. Um, but, I get the impression that that if I wandered the halls, the passages, the pathways of the Baraboo design market, maybe things would fall into place in the way they don’t when you walk through a department store or those gift shops that are just groaning with a cacophony of things.
[00:56:28] Peggy Byrne: I think, yes, I totally agree. So one thing that I’m very careful not to do is to put too many things together, so I don’t put all the clothes together and all the jewelry together, as you would find in a department store. Because I think then, if your purpose isn’t to buy a shirt, then you’re not going to go there.
[00:56:46] And I think it does a disservice to the designers. But also, things need to be seen in unison. Things need to be seen together and how they marry together. Um, you know, I think there’s a lot to be said for, um, we’ve In the last few years, one of the categories that’s grown the most is, is the food and we call the pantry and bar category, which is artisanal, you know, gin makers and biscuit makers, et cetera, um, wine, et cetera.
[00:57:12] But, um, they’ve grown a lot because You know, they go very well with a wooden board or, you know, a knife from Dog Boy or a glass from Emma Clow. You know, they go well together. So pairing things together, um, giving them context is a really easy way for people to buy. Smart you buy smart, you know, you’re not just by Oh auntie Jane.
[00:57:36] I’m gonna buy her this but then uncle John I have to go to another shop to buy for uncle John. No, you don’t just buy everything in one place You know if you need to buy things You will find something for everyone at a place like Bowerbird because that’s what a Bowerbird does It brings all the things together under one roof.
[00:57:54] Steve Davis: All right. Have you got in closing any You Any wisdom, any tips? I mean, you’ve shared a lot already, but Trying If there’s someone you’ve got no idea what to get them for, and you have to give in to the, uh, the norms of the world, and to not buy them something would be rude. It was one quick footnote. I think the scourge of society are Kris Kringles where people are forced to buy things, especially in workplaces.
[00:58:28] Um, for people that don’t really care about that deeply and they’re just going to go stupid and get silly trash that will get one laugh and thrown away. I actually really don’t like it. Um, I’m sure there are some workplaces where people take it more seriously. Maybe it’s just the people I mix with. Um.
[00:58:47] Have you got a need? How would what have you a rule of thumb that you use if you were to buy someone again? In fact, well you’ve only just met me. How would you what would run through your mind in thinking what can I buy Steve?
[00:59:01] Peggy Byrne: Well I know what I’d buy. I’d buy you a guitar strap.
[00:59:03] Steve Davis: No,
[00:59:05] Peggy Byrne: but I think I think what I would buy you is something that, um, that you can talk about.
[00:59:11] I would buy you something that you can share with your friends and talk about with your friends. So I would make sure that whatever it is that I bought you, you would have the background, you’d have the story behind it. So, um, you know, things like traditional, you know, these traditional biscuits that I brought in today.
[00:59:28] On the packaging, it gives you the story of the grandma, and the original recipe, and how they’ve taken that, you know, from generation to generation, etc. That’s a lovely gift, because, well, for one, it’s food, so, yum.
[00:59:41] Steve Davis: Yes. We’re looking at almond bread, by the way, from, is it back to basics? Back
[00:59:44] Peggy Byrne: to basics tradition.
[00:59:45] So it’s beautiful almond bread. But, you know, Rob makes these in the recipe that he has learnt from, you know, his arts, and his mother, and you know, his family history.
[00:59:56] Steve Davis: It is made following a traditional Calabrese, the Italian recipe from our Collezione di famiglia, the Family Collection Cookbook. Our almond bread is light, crisp and delicious, packed full of 100 percent fresh Australian almonds.
[01:00:10] You won’t want to share it. Bon
[01:00:12] Peggy Byrne: Appetito! And it is delicious, I can stand by that one. Once you open it, you just don’t. The packet disappears.
[01:00:18] Steve Davis: Right. And also, is that theirs as well, the broad bean chips? Yeah, broad
[01:00:22] Peggy Byrne: bean chips. So again, you know, this is an old recipe or a traditional recipe that I guess you would have had in the fields while you were, you know, you would take that with you while you were working and it’s something you’d have in your pocket and munch on all day.
[01:00:33] But they’ve modernised it a bit using less of the oil frying and now they’re using air frying to make them more, um, you know, more healthy and they’re delicious.
[01:00:43] Steve Davis: And does make a point here. These are sea salt and olive oil broad bean chips. A nutritional powerhouse that’s super tasty. Hadn’t actually thought of that.
[01:00:53] There probably is a bit more nutrition in these than a potato chip, for example. I would say
[01:00:58] Peggy Byrne: so, yes.
[01:00:59] Steve Davis: Yes.
[01:01:00] Peggy Byrne: And again, you know, these things came from, um, you know, that’s what people used to take in their pockets when they used to go work the fields. It was an easy snack to have. Um, so, you know, there, there was a purpose for it, it’s not been, it’s not something new or something that isn’t required that somebody’s come up with just to have something new.
[01:01:17] It’s something that existed already, it’s just been improved, um, and also the tradition’s been carried over. So, you know, that’s what all of these artisans do, they, they, glassblowing, you know, that’s been around for, you know, Gazillion years, ceramics, ceramic works. Sorry, you’re
[01:01:32] Steve Davis: just pointing. Is that glass there?
[01:01:34] Peggy Byrne: That is the hand, that is, yes, that’s blown by a lady called Emma Clow, Emma Clow Glass. And it’s Oh, this
[01:01:40] Steve Davis: is one of those stemless glasses, dear listener. Um, it goes, it tapers down, so the glass, um, sort of rolls around on an axis. A bit like a spinning top that’s not spinning.
[01:01:53] Peggy Byrne: Yeah. And they make decanters as well.
[01:01:55] She makes decanters as well, where you put the wine in, and the actual spinning motion aerates the wine beautifully. It’s terrifying to look at, because you assume that it’s going to go crashing, but it actually never, never misses a beat.
[01:02:07] Steve Davis: And she hand blows.
[01:02:08] Peggy Byrne: She does. She’s been doing it for over 10 years, and all different colours.
[01:02:13] You see them a lot at Jam Factory and, um, She’s a very talented South Australian artist. What are you
[01:02:19] Steve Davis: doing to me Peggy? See, I like this. This is beautiful. And again, I would clear the Riddells out. And replace with just a few of these.
[01:02:33] Peggy Byrne: And
[01:02:33] Steve Davis: then next to us we’ve got This
[01:02:35] Peggy Byrne: is ceramics. Yeah, the
[01:02:36] Steve Davis: ceramic. We’ll take some photos of this by the show notes You’ll see photos and Peggy and I might do a quick video before we finish to sit with this This is a mug.
[01:02:45] I’m holding that’s been hand turned And this is what you say hand
[01:02:50] Peggy Byrne: thrown
[01:02:51] Steve Davis: hand thrown. Thank you And this is the one with all those or um It’s draped with color, um, it sort of drips down the side. Looks
[01:03:02] Peggy Byrne: a bit like a landscape, all the earthy tones and sea and sky, it’s quite lovely. That’s a Clair by Croix.
[01:03:08] Steve Davis: And what have you got there? I
[01:03:09] Peggy Byrne: just wanted to show you this, because it’s not just about, you know, your um, Your parents or your kids or your friends. It’s also about your pets, you know, we’ve got designers who make pet toys and Collars etc But in the same, you know ethical Considered fashion where there was a need to have Pet toys that weren’t landfill after three chews and these are just absolutely amazing They will last a considerable amount of time depending on how Um, Your dog is.
[01:03:45] Yes,
[01:03:45] Steve Davis: well, I’m holding a long purple leather Caterpillar.
[01:03:49] Peggy Byrne: It’s called Gertie the Caterpillar.
[01:03:51] Steve Davis: Gertie the Caterpillar. It’s got thick knots along the bottom to represent the legs and also some antennae and I can see this is made by Georgie Paws. It’s lasting quite a while and from when I did some work with Zoos SA, I remember the importance of giving animals things like this.
[01:04:13] To keep their brains active.
[01:04:16] Peggy Byrne: And the clever thing about this is that they’ve done their research. They’re not just dog lovers and designers. They’ve worked out that dogs want an easy win. So there’s always something on their toys that will give. The first thing that will give. So in this case, it’s the ears of the, of the dog.
[01:04:32] The caterpillar, it doesn’t have ears, must be an antenna. Antenna, yes. Antenna. And so this will give first. And so the dog will feel satisfied that it has, yes, it’s achieved its goal of destruction, but then it’ll continue at the hardier part of the toy. And eventually the legs will start to give because they’re also slightly weaker than the body.
[01:04:51] And so it gives the, the, the, the dog a sense of a reason to come back and to continue to destroy.
[01:04:57] Steve Davis: Has Georgie Paws really thought this through? Is it this just training the dog? When they get access to your slippers, they know the tricks.
[01:05:06] Peggy Byrne: They won’t want your slippers if they had this. They’ve actually just won the South Australian Small Business of the Year.
[01:05:14] I think the Premier gave them an award recently. I find this out on social media and I’m very excited for them. They’re way too busy to tell me these things, but yes, it’s great. I mean, it’s only a, it’s You know, she started this business at the age of 13, and she got her mum involved. Her mum had a background in fashion and knew how to make patterns, and now she’s making toys all around the world.
[01:05:36] Steve Davis: Wow, well that was a surprising ending. I didn’t I didn’t expect that but how wonderful Peggy I think you’re the perfect ambassador for these people. Thank you And even old curmudgeons like me who drowning in clutter You’ve you found a way as Leonard Cohen said there’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.
[01:05:57] That’s right That’s right. I can’t believe i’m saying that but it’s true and you’ve heard dear listener the journey You So, the Bowerbird Design Market, November 22 So, ground, um, Friday is four till nine if I’m right.
[01:06:15] Peggy Byrne: Yeah, so Friday’s a two for one Night, so it’s basically come after work and you know two for one So you pay for one get two people through the door So that’s to you know, those people that want to see what’s fresh what’s new and then Saturday Sunday 10 till 5.
[01:06:31] Um, and on Sunday, we’re bringing Santa as well, the original toy maker.
[01:06:36] Steve Davis: Oh yes, of course, of course. Uh, and now paying the elves a good wage, I believe.
[01:06:42] Peggy Byrne: I believe.
[01:06:43] Steve Davis: And it is true, supporting Catherine House.
[01:06:45] Peggy Byrne: That’s right. So Catherine House is our chosen charity. Um, so whether it’s through the gift wrapping station or through the get a photo with Santa, all those donations go to Catherine House.
[01:06:56] Steve Davis: Peggy Byrne, it’s been an absolute gift being able to sit with you and chat about Bowerbird. Thank you.
[01:07:01] Peggy Byrne: Thank you, it’s been a pleasure.
[01:07:11] Caitlin Davis: And now it’s time for the Musical Pilgrimage.
[01:07:15] Steve Davis: In the Musical Pilgrimage, we’re going to leave you with a gift, and it’s the gift of music from Dino Jag. I’m not going to say very much because I could wax lyrical for a long time. I love Dino Jag’s style, his essence, his sound, his artistic judgements. This man oozes good vibes in his music, whether he’s doing a heartfelt sad song, or something to get you up and get your spirit moving.
[01:07:44] This track, which we originally featured in, In episode 174, back in 2016, You Don’t Have to Wait for Christmas Day, uh, now has an accompanying video, which is great, great fun. And I think, I actually feel hard on myself, that I have not included this in my Christmas playlist when we get together. That will be corrected this year.
[01:08:05] This will be at the top of the tree like a star. So, let’s have a South Australian Yuletide finish. To this episode with Dino Jack, you don’t have to wait for Christmas Day.
[01:08:18] Dino Jag: I was just a boy in a dream, this big old man, he came to me, he had the greatest beard you’d ever seen. He came with reindeers, eight of them, plus one with a nose that glowed bright red, and all these little men with pointy ears.
[01:08:39] He said, you don’t need no Christmas tree to light the world, to set it free. All you gotta do is sing and make the people dance. And if you come with me to lend a hand, help spread my message to the land, I’ll teach you how to sing my melody. Tra la la la la, la la He said, all you gotta do is go ho, ho, ho, wave your hands in the air and say, hey, hey, hey.
[01:09:14] See if you can make them smile, if you can make them laugh. Cause every ho, ho, ho, and every hey, hey, hey, can make a little difference in the world today. And you don’t have to wait for Christmas Day. Tra la la la la, la la la. He said, yeah. And listen here, we got work to do this year. I’ve seen so many people with a frown.
[01:09:46] But you don’t need no jingle bells, no wishing wells, or carousels. Teach them how to say my name. They do. Tra la la la la La la They said all you gotta do is go ho ho ho with your hands in the air and say hey hey hey See if you can make them smile, if you can make them laugh Cause every ho ho ho and every hey hey hey Can make a little difference in the world today You don’t You don’t need no Christmas tree to light the world, to set it free, all you gotta do is sing and make the people dance.
[01:10:45] And if you come with me to Lamphead, spread my message to the land, we’ll teach them how to sing. Breathe in harmony. Whistle. Tralala. Tralala. Tralala. Come on! I said all you gotta do is go ho, ho, ho With your hands in the air and say hey, hey, hey. Say if you can make them smile, If you can make them laugh.
[01:11:17] Cause every ho, ho, ho, and every hey, hey, hey Can make a little difference in the world today. And you don’t have to wait for Christmas. Well,
[01:11:55] Steve Davis: we’ve wrapped up that episode. Good night. We’ve put a nice ribbon around it and we’ve placed it under the tree. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Thank you very much for listening. Of course, there are more South Australians we’ll be talking to soon. Until next time, it’s goodnight from me, Steve Davis. Goodnight, Don.
[01:12:14] AJ Davis: The Adelaide Show podcast is produced by my dad, Steve Davis. If you want to start a podcast or get some help producing creative content, talk to him. Visit stevedavis. com. au Thanks AJ. I’m Caitlin Davis and I agree with everything my sister said. But there’s one more thing to say. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating or a review, because that will make my dad really happy.
[01:12:44] Oh, and one more thing. If you really, really liked it, please help a friend put the Adelaide show on their phone. Thanks for listening! Buzz buzz, I’ll be. Adelaide,
[01:13:00] Singing: Adelaide, Adelaide Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide,
[01:13:13] Dino Jag: Adelaide, Adelaide,
[01:13:16] Singing: Adelaide,
[01:13:17] who?